In today’s Gospel, Jesus commands the men who are standing around the tomb of Lazarus to roll the stone away that sealed the tomb. He calls out in a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth!” I imagine some of the onlookers rolled their eyes. “Yeah, right! The grief must have overcome Jesus”, they think because He lost one of His best friends. Which one of us is not like Jesus when we are at a time of loss and grief? Although we realize that our lives have changed, in the deepest chamber of our hearts there is a voice that wanted to scream out: “I can’t believe that really happened to me.” It is natural for us to have these feelings of sadness or even some depression. So, the men around Jesus assumed He was just needing to vent those feelings of loss. But we know what follows: Lazarus rises from the dead. The tomb is opened, and he steps forth covered in burial cloth. The men untie him and Lazarus is smiling and walking towards Jesus and towards his sisters, Martha and Mary. He has been given new life, and he is thrilled! I like to think of Jesus’ summons to Lazarus as one that applies to us. We are being called from the “tombs” of everyday life that bind us at times. But like Lazarus, we need to hear Jesus call us to Come Forth into a new life, something better. Today, let us hear the voice of Jesus calling us forth:

You---in that tomb of feeling sorry for yourself. Come forth!

You---caught up in that way of living that isn’t living. Come forth!

You--- who ties your self-worth to your bank account. That is

   empty! Come forth!

You--- that have curled up your toes already, just waiting to die.

   Come forth!

The message of Easter to us is that there is still life to be lived and enjoyed. You still have a purpose. You can live meaningfully. Christ gives us His life and wants us to share it with others. Let us keep our ears open and respond to His call.     ~ Fr. John